Bracing For Impact
by Tif S
Summary: Based on a prompt given to me in the Love Makes A Family Collection, involving the car accident previewed in the promo for the season finale. The Adams-Fosters have faced countless obstacles and challenges, but when the unimaginable happens, will the bonds they have forged stand strong and truly survive the aftermath? AU Character death. Loosely based on the movie Raise Your Voice
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi, this is my first full length fosters fic. It's based on a prompt given to me by Guest in the Love Makes A Family collection involving the car wreck that was alluded to in the promo for the season finale. I didn't feel like I could do this idea justice in a one or two shot so I decided to make it a full length story. My theory on the car accident is that something happens to either Jesus or Brandon in the car. It appears at least to me that it is Brandon's car. This is hopefully going to be an AU. I really hope so. I own nothing, but my interpretation of the prompt given by Guest. Fosters belongs to ABC Family not me. If I owned it, the car wreck would not even be a possibility next week and Callie wouldn't have such a hard time getting adopted.**

* * *

Chapter One: The Evening Before Idyllwild

Callie was sitting at the kitchen table helping Jude with math when Jesus and Brandon walked in the back door. Brandon had been tasked with teaching Jesus and Mariana how to drive, a task, knowing the twins, she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.

Jesus leaned over inspecting Jude's math homework. "X=42 huh?"

The thirteen year old looked at his paper then at the older teen. "Yeah, see?"

Jesus tapped the paper with a smirk. "Check again."

This of course had Jude pulling out his calculator with a scowl.

"Dude, since when are you the math whiz?" Brandon laughed as Callie walked over to her brother's side of the table.

"It's right Jude." Callie said. "I watched you do it remember?"

"You're such a jerk." Jude rolled his eyes at Jesus but a small grin was visible.

"Hey Brandon," Callie searched him out. "Can I ask you something?"

Brandon nodded walking with Callie toward the fridge. "What's up?"

"Well, you know how we were talking about driving lessons… and you taught Mariana and Jesus…?"

Brandon felt a grin pulling at his lips. "Oh no! No way, I've already got whiplash." He rubbed his neck.

"Come on!" Callie pouted. "I can't be nearly as bad as Jesus. From what Jude's told me, he was prepping for Nascar."

Brandon laughed. "You got me there. So, you really want to do this or are you just trying to one up Mariana?"

Callie smirked. "What if I said both?"

"You're terrible!"

"Maybe…" Callie reached past Brandon's hand grabbing a bottle of water. "Now come on, we've got about an hour before Mariana comes in asking to watch _Dance Moms_."

Brandon sighed. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

* * *

Stef walked in to find Mariana, Brandon and Callie watching _Dance Moms _of all things. Stef smiled to herself, how on earth had her headstrong daughter convinced her headstrong son and her stubborn foster daughter to sit through an hour of women screaming at the top of their lungs? She voiced the question out loud to the teenagers on the couch as Mariana turned around.

"Actually it was a six episode marathon."

"Even more surprising." Stef raised her eyebrows as Callie laughed.

"I wanted to leave, but Callie held me down." Brandon replied. "My Idyllwild audition song has more difference in tone than Abby's voice."

"Now who's being a jerk?" Callie said. She felt the same way about the show, but there was no way she'd risk Mariana's wrath by voicing it out loud.

The aforementioned wrath was being demonstrated as Mariana slapped Brandon with a pillow sending him tumbling to the floor at the exact moment that Lena walked in retrieving the pillow and looking from her wife to her son and daughter. "What did I miss here?"

"Brandon dissed _Dance Moms _in front of Mariana." This came from Jude in the kitchen who had been watching the action with wide eyes as his pencil remained frozen in his hand.

"Oh really?" Lena and Mariana shared a secret glance as Callie's jaw dropped. That was the same trouble look they had been wearing when Jesus had gotten pulled into the lake. This was way more fun than _Dance Moms_.

* * *

**A/N: So what do you think so far? This is just a short little introduction/setup with some fluff thrown in. I'm not sure how long this will be. Maybe five or six chapter minimum. There will be a couple chapters before the car wreck, but most of the story, as the summary implies will be focused on the aftermath.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter. Brandon's Idyllwild Audition is this chapter. The song he performs is Bach's piano concerto movement 1, I believe that is the correct song name. Just look up Bach Piano concerto and you should find something like what he performs. I modeled it off the first movement. **

* * *

Chapter Two: Idyllwild Anxieties and the Calm Before the Storm

Breakfast in the Adams-Foster house was an event. It was when news was shared, jokes were pulled, and the stress of the day ahead was realized. With five teenagers in the house, the most important meal of the day became the unavoidable circus of the morning. Brandon, in particular was looking forward to getting some food in him. He had barely slept the night and was hoping that maybe a good meal would give him the energy he was lacking for his very important outing.

Jude was already tucking into pancakes, eggs and bacon as Stef and Lena continued the assembly line of preparing meals for four other starving adolescents. Even as she flipped the fifth pancake onto the huge serving plate, Stef couldn't help but notice her oldest son's disheveled appearance. There were dark circles under his eyes and his greeting was muffled in a series of yawns.

"Brandon, did you sleep okay Baby?"

The loaded question. Brandon started to nod, but at his moms' scowls sighed and shook his head. "Not really. I couldn't stop worrying about the audition today."

"What is there to worry about?" Mariana asked. "You always kill it."

"Just imagine the judges in their underwear." Jesus said as his siblings all cracked up and Stef stared with wide eyes. "Never fails."

Brandon grinned stabbing at his pancakes. "No offense Jesus, but I don't think they'll appreciate me randomly snort-laughing in the middle of Bach's concerto."

"That's an interesting thought." Callie was stifling a laugh.

"You would think that." Brandon rolled his eyes.

"You'll do fine Brandon. Don't worry." Lena said.

"I know…" he sighed.

* * *

The entire Adams-Foster clan was piled into the theatre waiting anxiously for the audition to begin. Brandon walked onstage and sat at the huge piano before he began. He placed his hands, catching himself worrying once again about his extension. Too late now, he was there and he was up. He relaxed as he began the movement, the familiarity of the piece eclipsing everything else. All of the anxieties about Lou, the band, and the tour disappeared as he found himself back to his roots.

When he was done, he felt himself grinning in spite of everything.

"That was amazing Baby." Stef kissed him on the forehead as he came offstage.

"Awesome job B." Mike smiled. "You're a shoo in."

"Thanks Dad."

"Idyllwild's gotta take you." Mariana said as she tackled her brother in a hug.

"What do you say we do something special to celebrate?" Lena was waiting by the door as the family walked into the parking lot.

"How about bowling?" Mike suggested.

Jesus, Mariana and Brandon exchanged a look as Callie and Jude looked excited.

"Come on…" Lena teased. "I don't think Callie and Jude have seen me nab a turkey."

"Nab a turkey Mama really?" Mariana rolled her eyes.

"It could be fun." Stef said.

Callie looked at Brandon pointedly as he leaned over with a whisper. "I apologize in advance. Bowling is their go-to for good things."

"We don't mind." Callie pulled Jude close. "Right Judicorn?"

* * *

**A/N: Ugh, okay I promise the angst and the drama is coming soon. I don't know why fluff comes out of angst. I just figured they needed one good solid family bonding moment. So next chapter, bonding, bowling and the beginning of the Brallie driving lesson. Any ideas about Brandon, how do you think Callie and Jude will react to Adams-Foster family bowling?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Fluff abounds for the first half.**

* * *

Chapter Three: The Calm and the Storm

The bowling alley was a small one, but it was quaint in its own way. It was one of the local establishments that only had about seven lanes.

"Alright, so let's see what you've got." Jesus laughed punching Jude in the arm playfully. "Think you have what it takes to get a strike against me?"

Jude nodded grinning in challenge as he then proceeded to chase Jesus around the bowling alley.

"Boys!" Lena tried to discipline, but found she was overcome by a fit of giggles.

Meanwhile, Callie and Brandon walked to get their shoes.

"So… how'd it feel?" Callie asked.

Brandon nodded, not even needing to clarify what she was referring to. "It felt… better than I thought. It was good."

Callie raised her eyebrows. "Just good?"

"It was…" Brandon wracked his brain. There wasn't really any way he could describe how it felt, but he wanted to try. "It was like coming home after a long time away. It just felt right."

Callie grinned bumping his shoulder. "That's the answer I wanted. So are you excited about going to Idyllwild?"

Brandon shook his head. "Slow down, I have to get the call first."

"Is that even a question?"

"Well, yeah."

Callie tapped him on the shoulder as she walked over to the lane.

Brandon sighed as he looked for a ball. He was still trying to process that he had even auditioned, so the fact that Callie and the rest of his family seemed so sure of his acceptance threw him for a loop. Was he good? He thought so, but the judges were little more than stodgy prep school alumni. Surely, they would see his nerves straight away and know he wasn't cut out for their program.

"You okay B?" Mike was now at the ball rack making an obvious show of looking for his usual ten pound for the sake of a conversation.

Brandon nodded shrugging it off. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Your ball's right here." Mike pointed to a dark blue bowling ball sitting an arm span away.

"What if… what if I didn't get in?" Brandon sighed.

"Come on, that's ridiculous." Mike laughed. "You were great up there."

"But, what if I don't? I already turned down the tour, Lou basically broke up with me so even if I wanted to I couldn't convince them to let me go."

Mike sighed. "Brandon, stop right there. You didn't even get the call yet for one, plus Lou isn't the only member is she? You and Mat are good friends."

Brandon felt a smirk. "Mat's good friends with Mariana. I'm just his buddy."

"That's not the kind of friendship I mean B." Mike's face reddened as he laughed. "The point is… just wait and see. Now come on, I think Jesus already started entering the play order."

* * *

By the time the Adams-Fosters began their second game of bowling, Jesus was already becoming arrogant, not that it was anything new.

"See, what'd I tell you? Beat that." he raised his arms in a victory pose as Jude bit his lip.

"You are so on!" Mariana skipped up to the lane and to everyone's surprise managed a third strike.

"Don't get so cocky bro." Brandon tapped Jesus on the shoulder. "The farther up you are, the harder you hit the ground."

"Shut up B." Jesus shoved him.

"Just sayin'." Brandon put his hands up in surrender.

Callie bit her lip studying the lane before she began her walk up. She put up her hand as if measuring the arc she was going to take before she released the ball.

"What the hell is she doing?" Jesus whispered.

Mariana jabbed him in the ribs as the ball finished its path. Callie had knocked down six pins.

"Good job Callie!" Stef smiled holding up her hands for a double high five.

"That is the best pre-bowl ritual I've seen." Mariana said grabbing a slice of pizza. "Better than Jesus' Turkey Lurkey dance when we were nine."

"Turkey Lurkey Dance?" Jude grimaced.

This sent Lena chatting as Jesus slid his hand across his neck. "Oh, it was the cutest thing. Every time he would go up to bowl, Jesus would tap his feet like crazy, putting on a little show."

"He thought it brought him luck." Stef said.

"As if." Brandon smirked. "We all know it was the bumper guards."

Callie and Jude looked around open mouthed as Lena, covering a laugh by wiping her face with a napkin, gave a brief nod.

"Oh my god!" Callie laughed. "Jesus… how'd you graduate from the guards?"

"You're pushing it Cal'." Jesus glared darkly.

"Alright… alright. I'm sorry. But seriously?"

This sent them all, even Jesus into a fit of giggles.

* * *

It had been a week since Brandon's audition, and Brandon was now making good on his deal to teach Calle how to drive. "Alright, are you ready?" Brandon opened the driver side door of the car getting in as Callie bit her lip.

"I don't know if I can do this." Callie sighed.

"Relax." Brandon said. "I'm driving us to the lot. It's practically empty on Sundays. Unless you want to drive us there yourself." He smirked.

Callie shook her head. "No thanks, I'm good."

"Suit yourself then." Brandon shrugged. "So how'd your visit with Robert go?"

Callie found herself smiling in spite of things. "You'll never guess who was there, Sophia."

Brandon raised his eyebrows. "How was she?"

"She's doing really well actually." Callie nodded.

"So she's back home now? That's really great."

"Yeah… yeah it is." Callie smiled, Brandon's glances to his cell phone not going unnoticed. "Have you heard anything from Idyllwild yet?"

Brandon shook his head. "They said they'd let me know anywhere from a week to two weeks after."

"So any day now." Callie leaned back in the seat as Brandon pulled into the lot.

"Yeah…" Brandon put the car in park. "Time to switch sides, don't get too comfortable."

Callie frowned, but obliged. "Okay, so 10 and 2?" Callie bit her lip trying to place her hands.

Brandon shook his head. "It's 9 and 3 now... at least according to Jesus, but it's not rigid. Just keep your hands relaxed."

"Okay…" Callie took a deep breath as she tapped the gas.

"That's it!" Brandon encouraged. "Nice and easy. Try driving a circle, just there." Brandon pointed to the area around the bar.

As he watched Callie relaxing into the routine, Brandon's mind wandered. This was the first time that he'd seen her this content in a while. All the stress with Robert and getting adopted and Jude never seemed to afford the girl a break. He knew that it would be a great relief to all of them, but especially Callie, when the adoption finally went through if this emancipation plan went as smooth as Mom seemed to think it would.

"You son of a bitch!" Brandon was snapped out of his thoughts by a slurred shout, and the screeching of tires on the pavement.

"Callie!" By the time Brandon registered what was happening, he was already blacking out.

* * *

**A/N: So, the accident happened. What now? The end took me forever, I had no idea how to write the accident actually happening. Please please leave predictions, comments, reactions anything! This next chapter we find out what happened, we will probably get Stef's point of view.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow! I cannot believe the response this story has gotten, and we haven't even reached the meat of it yet. This is where that warning on my profile and in the summary comes into play. This chapter was so hard to write. I had to stop multiple times. **

* * *

Chapter Four: The Bitter Pill

"Wait what?" Stef was getting ready to go into work after her lunch break. She had gotten a call from the captain. "At Reggie's lot?"

Reggie's was the bar ten minutes away from the Adams-Foster residence. It was where they always conducted driving lessons with the kids. Once that sank in, it sent the mom into a panic. Brandon and Callie were there. "I'll be right there!"

Lena heard her wife's exclamation from where she sat helping Jude with homework. "Stef?"

"There's been an accident at Reggie's."

"Oh God…" Lena turned to Jude. "Sweetheart, go find Mariana and Jesus."

"Moms?" Jude looked from Stef to Lena. "What's wrong?"

Stef shook her head, worried tears glistening in her eyes as she held open the door to leave. "Everything's going to be fine Baby… I'll call you from the car Lena."

Stef could barely keep her concentration as she drove to the station to pick up Mike. What if something had happened to Brandon and Callie? The thought was unbearable.

She picked up the radio as she heard the static come through. "_One reported fatality, requesting medical and backup." _

_No, no, oh god._ Stef blinked fast as she saw Mike running to the car.

"Let's go." Mike was stone faced as he turned on the sirens.

* * *

Their worst fears were confirmed as they saw the accident scene. It was Brandon's car, the driver's side unrecognizable with fragments of glass and dents all around. One of Stef and Mike's fellow officers was struggling to jimmy the driver's side door. The limp form, the strand of brown hair was the only part of the girl Stef recognized. She was unmoving.

"AUGH!" The scream: earth shattering, pain strangled. It was the scream Stef so desperately wished she wasn't hearing.

"We need a stretcher over here!" Mike almost sounded calm, if it weren't for the small, barely there tremble that only another parent would recognize.

"Brandon… sweetie, you're ok Love." Stef ran alongside the stretcher watching as her son's eyes fluttered.

"C...Cal…"

Stef looked at the EMT, staying back as her son was loaded into the ambulance.

"She wasn't in any pain." The woman's eyes were spotted with tears. "I can recognize a mother when I see one."

* * *

"It was a drunk." Mike's hands held the wheel in white hands as he talked into the cell phone.

"_The other driver?" _Lena said. "_What happened to him?"_

"The bastard took off, left the car and took off." Mike slammed the wheel. "He… just left!"

"_And the kids?"_ Lena was dreading the answer.

"Callie… she..." Mike sobbed. "I'm so sorry... Stef rode with Brandon in the ambulance. She's waiting for you guys there."

Lena was crying hard as she replied. "_Okay, I'll meet you."_

Mike pulled up to the hospital practically running in as he caught sight of Stef clutching tightly to Brandon's hand.

"B?" Mike reached for Brandon's other hand.

"C...can't...m'legs…" Brandon's eyes were pooling with tears as he struggled to speak through the buzz of painkillers. "Callie? How...she…?"

Mike looked at Stef. She was crying silently. He looked back at Brandon as his face changed. Even the drug induced haze couldn't hide the truth from his always perceptive son. The beeping increased the same way his heart rate quickened as he tried to fight his way off of the stretcher. Mike pinned him down.

"B. Brandon!" his voice was sharp, as sharp as the needle they stuck in the boy's arm. The sedative took effect and he was asleep within five minutes.

* * *

Lena sat in the living room, frozen to her spot on the couch. She knew she should tell the kids, but how was she going to do it? It was usually Stef that took care of this sort of thing. She was the one ready with tissues and hugs when news broke, not the bearer of it. And when they were so very close to finally being a complete family. It broke her heart.

"Mama," Mariana, Jesus and Jude walked into the room. "Have you heard anything about Callie and Brandon? Are they okay?"

"Sit down." Lena's voice cracked.

"Mama?" Jesus' voice came out small. He sounded ten instead of fifteen.

"There was a car accident… Brandon and Callie were involved."

"They're okay right?" Jude asked.

Lena sighed. "Brandon's at the hospital with Mom and Mike right now."

"What about Callie?" Jude blinked.

Lena broke down. "She... didn't make it."

The family embraced crying full out sobs, Jude's silent flow of tears the loudest of all.

* * *

Brandon woke up in a hospital bed, the events coming back to him slowly. The crash, his mom and dad, Callie… Callie, she was gone. That asshole in the other car had slammed the driver's side. Why had he made her drive around the building? There was plenty of space in that parking lot nowhere near the bar itself. So why had he done it?

"Brandon, how are you feeling sweetie?"

He shook his head as the tears came out violently. "I'm s...sorry. S'all my fault!"

Stef pulled Brandon to her. "Shh..shh… none of this is your fault baby, absolutely none of it."

Brandon's whole body shook. "Why did I let her talk me into it Mom?"

Stef sighed. "Because you're a good brother and Callie's…"

"Persistent?" Brandon couldn't even let the knowing smile through, talking about her as if she'd come out at any second felt… wrong… to him it felt wrong.

"Do...they…." Brandon felt a sudden wave of drowsiness. His eyes on Stef, he had no way of knowing that the nurse had just injected him with an anesthetic, no way of knowing that he'd be going into surgery so they could attempt to return movement to his legs.

Stef rubbed circles on her son's hand until it went limp and she had to let go.

* * *

Stef walked out into the waiting room where everyone was seated, in various states of shock.

Mariana watched Jude. His leg hadn't stopped shaking since he had found himself guided into the plastic hospital chair, for the second time in as many weeks. Once for his best friend, the other for his brother and for what she desperately wished could be his sister.

"Oh Jude…" Mariana blinked, wanting her own tears to subside if only for a moment, to be a picture of strength for her little brother.

Jude didn't even seem to register her presence, didn't reply or move to return her embrace. He just stared straight ahead as his leg pulsated.

"Mom," So many unanswered questions could be found in that single broken syllable as the teenagers noticed their mother.

"Oh Loves…" Stef walked over embracing Jude, Jesus and Mariana in turn, before she walked over to Lena to fill her in.

"There was no pain." Stef's voice was small, smaller than she had ever spoken to anyone before.

Lena pulled her wife into a hug as both women cried into each other.

* * *

**A/N: ... I'm sorry! I swear though, I am going somewhere with this. If you want an idea of what Brandon's arc might look like, check out the trailer for Raise your Voice starring Hilary Duff. It's where I got some inspiration for this story. We get the real feelings and really get into things next chapter. Also on a fluffier note, I have come up with a new Fosters fic idea called It's Not Where You Come From kind of switching things around. Info on my profile, PM with any suggestions, ideas, what you'd like to see, also prompts for Love Makes A Family always welcome!**


	5. Aftershocks

_**A/N: Okay, wow it's been a long time. I'm not sure if I'll finish this story before season 3 premiere, but I wanted to at least get another chapter up. I will try to keep this AU, all of the characters that will be appearing later on are my own creation. I do think a few elements will be similar considering what I've seen, but this is a different story. I hope you like it. There will be a flashback in this chapter. Yay for flashbacks! I own nothing but the plot bunnies and my OCs.**_

* * *

Chapter Five: Aftershocks

Stef and Lena hadn't stopped crying. They kept a near constant vigil in the hospital lobby. Mike could barely get the two women to go home and change clothes despite the fact that he promised to stay and watch the kids.

Mike had never seen Stef so broken. She had remained strong for as long as she could, long enough to get Brandon to calm down for his surgery, but now… now she couldn't get the tears to stop.

It was hard for Mike to pinpoint his exact feelings on the situation. Along with the pain of losing the girl that had been a constant source of trouble, heartbreak, but most of all love, in all of their lives since her arrival a year ago, there was a sense of relief at the fact that it wasn't Brandon. Mike was disgusted that the word relief could even pop into his head especially when his eyes locked onto the boy so stock still in that plastic hospital chair.

"Family of Brandon Foster?" A nurse walked out, looking at the family.

"Yes?" Lena wiped away tears barely managing to blink back others as she and Stef clutched hands.

"Brandon's surgery went well, we were able to restore partial movement to both of his legs."

"Partial?" Mike asked.

The nurse nodded. "For the first month, while he undergoes physical therapy, he'll most likely be relying on a wheelchair."

"A wheelchair? You mean he won't be able to walk at all?" Mariana looked from Stef and Lena to the nurse.

"No," The nurse shook her head. "It's just that he'll need time to heal and to regain the strength he had before."

"How long will that take?"

"It's unclear." The nurse said. "Depending on how the sessions go, it could be anywhere from a month to two months."

"Can we see him?" Jesus asked.

"A few at a time." the nurse replied.

Mike looked at Stef and Lena wordlessly as the two women followed the nurse into the hospital room.

He looked over to where Jesus had been sitting to find the seat empty and the boy himself pacing with long agitated steps across the lobby. His back was rigid and his hands were trembling. It was as though the movement was the only thing keeping him upright.

"Jesus! Hey." Mike reached for the boy's hand purely on impulse, a paternal instinct controlling his movements.

The boy's face twisted as he felt the contact and ripped his hand away. He didn't break stride or raise his eyes. "Why does this stuff always happen to us?"

Mike sighed shrugging his shoulders. "I'm gonna be honest. Hell if I know."

Jesus collapsed to the floor as his body shook. "I'm the one that asked for a driving lesson. It's my fault."

Mariana met Mike's eyes walking over with careful steps and putting her arms around her brother.

"I started all this." Jesus talked through his tears.

"What do you mean?"

"I...I was… the first one to ask Brandon for a driving lesson. It turned into this stupid competition with all of us… if Callie… if she and Brandon hadn't been trying to go along with it…" He dissolved, turning into Mariana's shoulder.

Mike choked on his reply dragging a hand across his own tears. "Jesus, It's not your fault. It's this… this is just a god awful shitty situation. You're okay… "

* * *

Lena watched Stef as she sat at the edge of Brandon's bed. Her face was wet with a neverending flow of tears, the mirror image of Lena's own she was sure. Her shoulders were slumped as the last of her strength was slowly fading. She grasped both Brandon's hand and Lena's waiting for the first sign of pressure showing that her son was awake.

"Babe…" Lena sighed.

"Is this payback?" Stef said. "Is this some sort of twisted payback because I had Robert investigated?" She shut her eyes as more tears fell. "I never believed in karma, but this must be what they mean when they say it's a bitch."

"Stef…" Lena squeezed Stef's knee. "This _isn't _karma or revenge or anything close." She put her arms around her as her own body shook with sobs. "It feels like it now, but it isn't."

An intense pressure on Stef's hand, bone breaking pressure, snapped Stef and Lena's attention to the hospital bed where Brandon was jerking violently, in the throes of a nightmare.

"Brandon!" Stef shouted. She placed a hand on Brandon's shoulder shaking firmly but gently. "Brandon, wake up sweets."

The teenager's eyes snapped open, full of fear and pain as they flitted around the hospital room before landing on Stef and Lena. "Mom…" his voice was helpless, already trapped in the rapidly returning memories of what had happened. "Mama."

"We're here… we're right here." Lena soothed as both she and Stef pulled him into a hug, all three on the tiny, standard issue hospital bed, all three crying a heavy flow of tears with no end in sight.

* * *

"Jude…" Mariana carried a package of vending machine cookies. After another round of neverending binge crying, Mike had finally convinced her to take his last two dollars and get something to eat. Jesus had decided on taking a walk. Movement was a big part of how he coped, Mariana knew that. Too bad her own coping mechanism wasn't as easy to figure out. As she stared at the vending machine, she had seen the jumbo bag of mini Oreos, deciding maybe her and Jude could share.

The boy glanced at her blinking as she held out the cookies.

"Judicorn…" Mariana pressed, her voice cracking. "Come on… give me something."

Jude just stared reaching a shaking hand into the bag and grabbing a cookie. He didn't put it in his mouth splitting it in half and piecing it together over and over.

Mariana sighed. She didn't know what to do. Comforting, and especially comforting Jude, had always been Callie's department, not hers. She was the one who would need the comforting after some stupid mistake or a bad day. She was the younger sister… or at least… she used to be. What was she supposed to say? _We'll get through this_. Ha, right. She didn't want to say something she couldn't even get herself to believe, so she settled for the truth. "Look, I know this sucks. It's probably going to suck for a while. I… I just can't even imagine how you must be feeling. If it hurts for me it's gotta be about ten thousand times worse for you." Mariana stuck a fist in her eye with a humorless laugh. "I mean… Callie wasn't even technically my sister."

Jude stopped mid-split, looking at Mariana and waiting for her to continue.

"But… what I'm trying to say is you aren't alone… we're all gonna be dealing with this and… well, we're a family." She reached for Jude's hand turning it palm up and placing her own hand there. "Me, Jesus, Brandon, Stef and Lena. We're here if you need us… for anything okay?"

Jude nodded with a trembling lip before he turned away, his attention back on the Oreo as he split it one last time studying the creme side, carefully placing it into Mariana's palm. He didn't look at her as he took a bite of his half chewing deliberately as if to say _I'm fine_ but Mariana didn't miss the glittering tears falling from the edge of his eyes.

* * *

Brandon smacked his lips together as the last bit of water drained out of the styrofoam cup that the nurse had brought in. Mike had come in a few minutes ago and now watched him carefully.

"Have you tried eating anything?" Mike asked.

Brandon's stomach flipped, even as it groaned in protest at its emptiness. He wasn't sure if it was the painkillers or his anxiety, but the thought of eating anything, much less the artificial food of the hospital cafeteria sent him into bouts of nausea. He shook his head.

Mike saw Brandon's face change, turn green. He sighed. "Is it the meds?"

He shrugged.

"Look," Mike sighed. "You gotta try eating something Brandon." He pulled a packet of crackers. "Just a little bit."

Brandon turned away hiding his tears. "I can't."

"Talk to me B."

"About what?" Brandon asked. It was a normal question, but it had all of the anxiety and expectation of a seven year old rather than the sixteen year old Brandon had become. He _wanted_ Mike to guide the conversation.

Mike wet his lips, the realization slapping him backwards. "Callie." The name, the name that had been like an elephant in the small hospital room, and the root of what was bothering and fracturing his family before his eyes. The loss so impossible, even the name felt like a ghost whisper on his lips.

Brandon folded in on himself collapsing like a house of cards. "What about Callie?"

"Anything. Tell me about her." Mike reached for Brandon's hand.

"Dad…" Brandon sighed. "You already know."

"I promise it'll help. Pick something."

Brandon's smile was miniscule, but very much there as he remembered. "There was one time…"

_Brandon was getting ready to practice with the band, well he was supposed to. Mat had texted saying that they were running late. He stood in the garage playing a few chords on the keyboard, just messing around. He didn't expect that he would have an audience._

"_That was really good." Callie said. "What song is it?"_

_Jude and Callie stood in front of the keyboard, Jude holding Callie's guitar experimentally._

_Brandon shook his head. "It's not really… I'm just messing around."_

"_It should be." _

_I'll show it to the band." _

_Callie shook her head. "Don't."_

_Brandon frowned. "We can use it."_

"_Please don't." Callie dragged over a stool for Jude to sit on. "Keep it for you."_

_A sudden buzz of strumming came from the corner where Jude sat groaning. "Ugh… Callie how do you do this?"_

_Brandon laughed as he and Callie stood up walking over to Jude. "Look." Callie helped adjust Jude's hands. "Now try."_

Brandon blinked as the memory overtook him. "She actually convinced me to not show them."

Mike nodded. "She was always pretty convincing."

"Yeah. She was wasn't she?" Brandon looked from his hands over to his dad. "I think… you were right. This is helping."

"I'm glad kiddo." Mike tapped Brandon on the shoulder. "I'm glad."

A tap on the door snapped their attention to the entrance. A man in light brown scrubs holding a clipboard stepped in. "Brandon Foster?"

Brandon looked over.

"Hi, I'm Robert Jonston. I'm one of the physical therapists that work here. I'll be helping you out."

"Hi." Brandon held out hand.

Robert looked over to Mike. "I take it you're Brandon's father?"

"Yeah," Mike nodded. "Mike Foster."

"Great. Are you going to be the primary caregiver?"

"Um… no that would be his Moms: Stef and Lena Adams-Foster." Mike replied. "They're in the waiting room."

Robert nodded. "I'll go get them then we'll talk."

* * *

_**A/N: Okay, first thing's first. The whole OC with the name Robert was not done for confusion's sake. I completely forgot that I named the therapist Robert. He is portrayed by Mark Salling. Robert Quinn is not going to play a huge role in this story, but he will likely appear once or twice if the story warrants more than one appearance. I haven't decided yet. Any thoughts on that? This story will mainly focus on the Adams-Fosters. I was thinking of writing a spin off short focusing more fully on the Quinn's dealing with Callie's death if anyone is interested. Next chapter, Stef and Lena meet Robert Jonston, Jesus Mariana and Jude see Brandon, jump a few weeks ahead, and Lena enlists help for Jude, Mariana, Brandon and Jesus among other things. **_


End file.
